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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

• About the 419 (Advance Fee) scam
• "Is that email a scam?" - Check it online here!
  
• Frequently asked Questions (419 FAQ)
• Phone numbers used by 419 scammers
  (+225 +229 +234 +27 +31 +32 +34 +44 other)
• Company names mentioned in 419 spam:
  1 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

• The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
  • "fiduciary agent" (real lotteries do not use a "claim agent" / "fiduciary agent")
  • "vat (5%)" (VAT is 17.5% in the UK but 5% in Nigeria)
  • "courier company" (Courier companies mentioned in 419 scams are always fake. They will have you send money to them, but won't deliver anything. )
  • "cheque " (Beware of any scheme that involves cashing checks or money orders and then wiring a portion of the funds somewhere - you'll be liable for the entire amount if the checks or money orders turn out to be fake, even after you have received and forwarded cash. If it's a lottery prize, remember that real lotteries do not pay large prizes by check. They wire the money directly to your bank account and you do not pay for that. )
• This email message is a fake lottery scam. Consider the following facts about real lotteries:
  
  1. They don't notify winners by email.
  2. You can't win without first buying a lottery ticket.
  3. They don't randomly select email addresses to award prizes to.
  4. They don't use free email accounts (Yahoo, Hotmail, etc) to communicate with you.
  5. They don't tell you to call a mobile phone number.
  6. They don't tell you to keep your winnings secret.
  7. They will never ask a winner to pay any fees to receive a prize!
• This email lists mobile phone numbers. Use of such numbers is typical for scams because they allow criminals to conceal their true location. They can receive calls in an Internet cafe from where they send you emails, while pretending to be in some office.
  • +447045726338 (UK, redirects to a mobile phone in another country)

Fraud email example:

From: Jamie Witt <safe_visualdispatchdelivery@yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Tue, 5 Jun 2007 02:53:06 +0100 (BST)
Subject: Att. Ms Leonore Traugen[Tel: +44 704 5726338]






VISUAL DISPATCH DELIVERIES
Victoria House 144-146 Beddington Lane
Croydon CR0 4TD
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 704 5726338

Ms Leonore Traugen,

How are you doing today?

Ms Leonore Traugen, we have received your mail and from your complaint, we want you to know that your winnings will be delivered to you by any of the three choices of courier company listed below, as you are required to choose any convinient one that the charges will be paid for by you and your winnings delivered to you by your choosen courier company in 48hrs from your time.

Also all the necessary documents relating to your winnings,your winnings cheque and car as well,will also be delivered to you by your choosen courier company, this will also be done in just 48hrs from your time.
Concerning the tax, we wish you to know that the Tax Issue, is already part of the cost of delivery also, so once you clear your delivery charges, you'll have no problem with tax any more.

These are the various questions you asked and i hope i've answered them, so i wait for your immediate reply and as well, do pick a choice of delivery so we can get your winnings ready to be delivered to you in less than 48hrs.

DHL



Mailing £168.00
Insurance £160.00
Vat (5%) £40.00
TOTAL £365.00
($662.40)



UPS
Mailing £160.00
Insurance £166.00
Vat (5%) £40.00
TOTAL £366.00
($658.80)



FEDEX

Mailing £162.00
Insurance £166.00
Vat (5%) £40.00
TOTAL £368.00
($662.40)







Send your response to indicate your option within the next 24hrs, because you only have 6 days to claim this cheque and after this period, your cash prize will be deemed to have been forfeited by you and will be reused in the drawings of the next edition of the promo.

Once again,congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


YOURS SINCERELY,
Sarah Dunace Wentworth
(FIDUCIARY AGENT)










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Anti-fraud resources:

• What can you do when you receive 419 spam